1. Field of the invention
Apparatuses and methods consistent with the present invention relate to creating a control code for a home network appliance according to the resolution of a control device, and more particularly, to creating a control code for a home network appliance according to the resolution of a control device which can automatically create a control code for a home network appliance according to the resolution of a device for controlling the home network appliance or collecting a state of the home network appliance and can perform testing of the device for controlling the home network appliance or collecting the state of the home network appliance even in the case in which the home network appliance is not bound.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As the Internet, which has been limited to specified categories, is widely spread through web implementations, it has a great effect upon the entire field of digital industry. Internet-based services, and contents which are in circulation through the Internet, have become an index of the 21st century digital field. In addition, with the start of content circulation through multimedia such as high-speed Internet, portable phones, personal data assistants (PDAs), notebook computers, etc., multimedia are now necessary matters, and not simply optional.
Meanwhile, computer-based information communications have been changed into the concept of “ubiquitous.” The word “ubiquitous” means “existing, found or seeming to be found everywhere at the same time”, and indicates an information communication environment in which a user can freely access a network without being conscious of the network or computer irrespective of the user's position.
FIG. 1 shows the evolution of home appliances for digital information.
In the 1980's, information was exchanged through a network composed of personal computers (PCs), notebook computers, main frame computers, workstations, etc. This network was used in limited areas such as research institutes, offices, etc.
In the 1990's, the Internet grew gradually. Accordingly, interests in home stations were gradually on the rise, and the Internet which had been used in limited areas such as research institutes, offices, etc., was spread to individuals and homes.
As the 2000's sets in, wireless networks have been developed remarkably and the transmission speed of wire networks has grown abruptly. As a result, circulation of large-capacity multimedia contents as described above has become serious and research on digital broadcastings have been in progress actively. Additionally, some services have already been commercialized. Meanwhile, many home appliances have been changed into information home appliances under the concept of “ubiquitousness”. Presently, digital information is transmitted and received through not only computers or workstations but also digital televisions (TVs), portable phones, video phones, smart phones, etc. Additionally, among home appliances such as refrigerators, microwave ovens, air conditioners, etc., digital information can be transmitted and received under the concept of the home network and “ubiquitousness”.
FIG. 2 is a view illustrating a conventional home network server and home network appliances.
A user can control a home network appliance 210 or confirm the state of the home network appliance using an appliance that supports a graphic user interface (hereinafter referred to as a “GUI appliance”) 230 such as a PC, a digital TV, a home pad, a PDA, etc. In other words, the user can access a home network server 220 using the GUI appliance 230, control the appliance 210 existing on the home network using the GUI transferred from the home network server 220, and confirm the state of the appliance 210.
For reference, the home network server 220 is classified as either an inner home network server or an outer home network server. A home gateway is used as the inner home network server in consideration of even the case in which the Internet is not supported, and a general web server which communicates with the home gateway is used as the outer home network server.
Here, the graphic user interface may be implemented by a hypertext markup language (HTML) web page or a separate application program. The web page type user interface has advantages in that its production, maintenance and repair are easier than those of the application program type user interface.
FIG. 3 is a view illustrating the structure of a conventional product control code.
The conventional GUI appliance 230 that supports the graphic user interface includes a user interface unit 310 and a script unit 320.
The user interface unit 310 provides a graphic user interface to a user, and is generally implemented by HTML. The user interface unit 310 displays the state of the home network appliance 210 using an image or text, or provides means for controlling the home network appliance 210 using an image to the user.
The script unit 320 includes a state receiving unit and an appliance control unit. The state receiving unit receives the state of the home network appliance 210, and the received state of the home network appliance 210 is output to a display screen through the user interface unit 310.
The appliance control unit transmits a control command to the home network appliance 210. The user inputs the control command through the user interface unit 310, and the input control command is transferred to the home network appliance 210 through the appliance control unit.
Generally, in the appliance that supports the graphic user interface (GUI appliance) 230, the state receiving unit and the appliance control unit are made using a java script. Since the java script does not perform hardwired communication with the GUI appliance 230, it plays its role through an ActiveX control object.
In other words, in the web page type graphic user interface, an ActiveX control object that communicates with hardware has been announced, and using this, the ActiveX control object communicates with a control device so that it receives the state information from the home network appliance 210 or transmit the control command to the home network appliance.
In the case in which HTML files that include the graphic user interfaces for the home network appliances 210 having the same resolution are created, as shown in FIG. 3, script codes that correspond to the respective HTML files should be developed according to the resolution of the control device.
This causes redundant work for simply correcting the same code to be done and requires a commitment of expert manpower although such work is simple.